X-Git-Url: http://www.privoxy.org/gitweb/?a=blobdiff_plain;f=doc%2Fwebserver%2Ffaq%2Fgeneral.html;h=7acb2233db05f067aef1462c0f93779bd0541c65;hb=107c84d0c43b24ad437933c75774276f67165959;hp=a72f50192a824ffc1cc366fc122da62df1742be9;hpb=511f1c3a70e268cff434f762579f506100627c58;p=privoxy.git diff --git a/doc/webserver/faq/general.html b/doc/webserver/faq/general.html index a72f5019..7acb2233 100644 --- a/doc/webserver/faq/general.html +++ b/doc/webserver/faq/general.html @@ -1,597 +1,753 @@ - - + -
-Anyone who is interested in security, privacy, or in finer-grained - control over their web and Internet experience.
-Privoxy is certainly a good choice, - especially for those who want more control and security. Those with the - willingness to read the documentation and the ability to fine-tune - their installation will benefit the most.
- -One of Privoxy's strengths is that - it is highly configurable giving you the ability to completely - personalize your installation. Being familiar with, or at least having - an interest in learning about HTTP and other - networking protocols, HTML, and "Regular Expressions" will be a - big plus and will help you get the most out of Privoxy. A new installation just includes a very - basic configuration. The user should take this as a starting point - only, and enhance it as he or she sees fit. In fact, the user is - encouraged, and expected to, fine-tune the configuration.
- -Much of Privoxy's configuration can - be done with a Web browser. But there are areas where configuration - is done using a text editor to edit configuration files. Also note - that the web-based action editor doesn't use authentication and should - only be enabled in environments where all clients with access to - Privoxy listening port can be - trusted.
-A web proxy is a service, based on a software such as - Privoxy, that clients (i.e. browsers) - can use instead of connecting to web servers directly. The clients then - ask the proxy to request objects (web pages, images, movies etc) on - their behalf and to forward the data to the clients. It is a - "go-between". For details, see Wikipedia's - proxy definition.
- -There are many reasons to use web proxies, such as security - (firewalling), efficiency (caching) and others, and there are any - number of proxies to accommodate those needs.
- -Privoxy is a proxy that is - primarily focused on privacy enhancement, ad and junk elimination and - freeing the user from restrictions placed on his activities. Sitting - between your browser(s) and the Internet, it is in a perfect position - to filter outbound personal information that your browser is leaking, - as well as inbound junk. It uses a variety of techniques to do this, - all of which are under your complete control via the various - configuration files and options. Being a proxy also makes it easier to - share configurations among multiple browsers and/or users.
-Yes, ad blocking is but one possible use. There are many, many ways - Privoxy can be used to sanitize and - customize web browsing.
-A long time ago, there was the Internet - Junkbuster, by Anonymous Coders and Junkbusters Corporation. - This saved many users a lot of pain in the early days of web - advertising and user tracking.
- -But the web, its protocols and standards, and with it, the - techniques for forcing ads on users, give up autonomy over their - browsing, and for tracking them, keeps evolving. Unfortunately, the - Internet Junkbuster did not. Version - 2.0.2, published in 1998, was the last official release, available from - Junkbusters Corporation. Fortunately, it had been released under the - GNU GPL, which allowed further development by others.
- -So Stefan Waldherr started maintaining an improved version of the - software, to which eventually a number of people contributed patches. - It could already replace banners with a transparent image, and had a - first version of pop-up killing, but it was still very closely based on - the original, with all its limitations, such as the lack of HTTP/1.1 - support, flexible per-site configuration, or content modification. The - last release from this effort was version 2.0.2-10, published in - 2000.
- -Then, some developers picked up the thread, and started turning the - software inside out, upside down, and then reassembled it, adding many - new features along the way.
- -The result of this is Privoxy, - whose first stable version, 3.0, was released August, 2002.
- -As of 2012 the Junkbusters Corporation's website - (http://www.junkbusters.com/) has been shut down, but Privoxy is still - actively maintained.
-Though outdated, Junkbusters Corporation continued to offer their - original version of the Internet - Junkbuster for a while, so publishing our Junkbuster-derived software under the same name - would have led to confusion.
- -There were also potential legal reasons not to use the Junkbuster name, as it was (and maybe still is) a - registered trademark of Junkbusters Corporation. There were, however, - no objections from Junkbusters Corporation to the Privoxy project itself, and they, in fact, shared - our ideals and goals.
- -The Privoxy developers also believed that there were so many - improvements over the original code, that it was time to make a clean - break from the past and make a name in their own right.
- -Privoxy is the "Privacy Enhancing - Proxy". Also, its content modification and junk - suppression gives you, the user, more control, more freedom, and - allows you to browse your personal and "private - edition" of the web.
-Privoxy picks up where Junkbuster left off. Privoxy still blocks ads and banners, still - manages cookies, and still helps protect your privacy. But, most of - these features have been enhanced, and many new ones have been added, - all in the same vein.
- -Privoxy's new features include:
- -Supports "Connection: keep-alive". Outgoing connections can be - kept alive independently from the client.
-Supports IPv6, provided the operating system does so too, and - the configure script detects it.
-Supports tagging which allows to change the behaviour based on - client and server headers.
-Can be run as an "intercepting" proxy, which obviates the need - to configure browsers individually.
-Sophisticated actions and filters for manipulating both server - and client headers.
-Can be chained with other proxies.
-Integrated browser-based configuration and control utility at - http://config.privoxy.org/ (shortcut: http://p.p/). Browser-based tracing - of rule and filter effects. Remote toggling.
-Web page filtering (text replacements, removes banners based on - size, invisible "web-bugs" and HTML - annoyances, etc.)
-Modularized configuration that allows for standard settings and - user settings to reside in separate files, so that installing - updated actions files won't overwrite individual user settings.
-Support for Perl Compatible Regular Expressions in the - configuration files, and a more sophisticated and flexible - configuration syntax.
-GIF de-animation.
-Bypass many click-tracking scripts (avoids script - redirection).
-User-customizable HTML templates for most proxy-generated pages - (e.g. "blocked" page).
-Auto-detection and re-reading of config file changes.
-Most features are controllable on a per-site or per-location - basis.
-Many smaller new features added, limitations and bugs - removed.
-Privoxy's approach to blocking ads - is twofold:
- -First, there are certain patterns in the locations (URLs) of banner - images. This applies to both the path (you wouldn't guess how many web - sites serve their banners from a directory called "banners"!) and the host (blocking the big banner - hosting services like doublecklick.net already helps a lot). - Privoxy takes advantage of this fact - by using URL patterns to sort out and block the requests for things - that sound like they would be ads or banners.
- -Second, banners tend to come in certain sizes. But you can't tell the - size of an image by its URL without downloading it, and if you do, it's - too late to save bandwidth. Therefore, Privoxy also inspects the HTML sources of web - pages while they are loaded, and replaces references to images with - standard banner sizes by dummy references, so that your browser doesn't - request them anymore in the first place.
- -Both of this involves a certain amount of guesswork and is, of - course, freely and readily configurable.
-Actually, it's a black art ;-) And yes, it is always possible to - have a broad rule accidentally block or change something by mistake. - You will almost surely run into such situations at some point. It is - tricky writing rules to cover every conceivable possibility, and not - occasionally get false positives.
- -But this should not be a big concern since the Privoxy configuration is very flexible, and - includes tools to help identify these types of situations so they can - be addressed as needed, allowing you to customize your installation. - (See the Troubleshooting section - below.)
-That depends on your expectations. The default installation should - give you a good starting point, and block most ads and unwanted - content, but many of the more advanced features are off by default, and - require you to activate them.
- -You do have to set up your browser to use Privoxy (see the Installation section below).
- -And you will certainly run into situations where there are false - positives, or ads not being blocked that you may not want to see. In - these cases, you would certainly benefit by customizing Privoxy's configuration to more closely match your - individual situation. And we encourage you to do this. This is where - the real power of Privoxy lies!
-Yes, Privoxy runs as a server - already, and can easily be configured to "serve" more than one client. See How can I set up Privoxy to act as a - proxy for my LAN below.
-Modern browsers do indeed have some of the same functionality as Privoxy. Maybe this is adequate for you. But - Privoxy is very versatile and - powerful, and can probably do a number of things your browser just - can't.
- -In addition, a proxy is good choice if you use multiple browsers, or - have a LAN with multiple computers since Privoxy can run as a server application. This way - all the configuration is in one place, and you don't have to maintain a - similar configuration for possibly many browsers or users.
- -Note, however, that it's recommended to leverage both your browser's - and Privoxy's privacy enhancing - features at the same time. While your browser probably lacks some - features Privoxy offers, it should - also be able to do some things more reliably, for example restricting - and suppressing JavaScript.
-The most important reason is because you have access to everything, and you can - control everything. You can check every line of every configuration - file yourself. You can check every last bit of source code should you - desire. And even if you can't read code, there should be some comfort - in knowing that other people can, and do read it. You can build the - software from scratch, if you want, so that you know the executable is - clean, and that it is yours. In fact, we encourage this level of - scrutiny. It is one reason we use Privoxy ourselves.
-Privoxy is free software and - licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL) version 2. It is free to - use, copy, modify or distribute as you wish under the terms of this - license. Please see the Copyright section - for more information on the license and copyright. Or the LICENSE file that should be included.
- -There is no - warranty of any kind, expressed, implied or otherwise. That - is something that would cost real money ;-) There is no registration - either.
-No, at least not reliably enough to trust it. Privoxy is not designed to be a malware removal - tool and the default configuration doesn't even try to filter out any - malware.
- -Privoxy could help prevent contact - from (known) sites that use such tactics with appropriate configuration - rules, and thus could conceivably prevent contamination from such - sites. However, keeping such a configuration up to date would require a - lot of time and effort that would be better spend on keeping your - software itself up to date so it doesn't have known - vulnerabilities.
+ +Privoxy should work fine with other - proxies and other software in general.
- -But it is probably not necessary to use Privoxy in conjunction with other ad-blocking - products, and this could conceivably cause undesirable results. It - might be better to choose one software or the other and work a little - to tweak its configuration to your liking.
- -Note that this is an advice specific to ad blocking.
-Well, we always need help. There is something for - everybody who wants to help us. We welcome new developers, packagers, - testers, documentation writers or really anyone with a desire to help - in any way. You DO - NOT need to be a "programmer". - There are many other tasks available. In fact, the programmers often - can't spend as much time programming because of some of the other, - more mundane things that need to be done, like checking the Tracker - feedback sections or responding to user questions on the mailing - lists.
- -So first thing, subscribe to the Privoxy Users or the Privoxy Developers mailing list, join the - discussion, help out other users, provide general feedback or report - problems you noticed.
- -If you intend to help out with the trackers, you also might want - to get an account on SourceForge.net so we don't confuse you - with the other name-less users.
- -We also have a Developer's Manual. While it is partly out of date, it's - still worth reading.
- -Our TODO list may be of interest to you as well. Please - let us know if you want to work on one of the items listed.
++ Anyone who is interested in security, privacy, or in finer-grained + control over their web and Internet experience. +
Donations are welcome. Our TODO list is rather long and being able to pay one - (or more) developers to work on Privoxy would make a huge difference, - even if it was only for a couple of weeks. Donations may also be used - for Privoxy-related travel expenses (for example to attend - conferences), for hardware used for Privoxy development and for - hosting expenses etc.
- -Privoxy is an associated project - of Software in the - Public Interest (SPI), which allows us to receive tax-deductible - donations in the United States. If you want to donate through SPI, - please use SPI's donation page to see what the options are.
- -You can also donate to Privoxy using a bank account or a "Paypal" - address:
- -
- Name on account: Zwiebelfreunde
- e.V.
- IBAN: DE95430609671126825604
- BIC: GENODEM1GLS
- Bank: GLS Bank
- "Paypal" address: privoxy@zwiebelfreunde.de
- -Donations made through Zwiebelfreunde e.V. are tax-deductible in - Germany and other countries that recognize German charitable clubs. - Feel free to use the Subject field to provide a name to be credited - and a list of TODO list items you are interested in the most. For - example: Max Mustermann: #16, #1, #14.
- -If you have any questions regarding donations please mail to - either the public user mailing list or, if it's a private matter, to - Fabian Keil - (Privoxy's SPI liason) directly.
++ Privoxy is certainly a good + choice, especially for those who want more control and security. + Those with the willingness to read the documentation and the + ability to fine-tune their installation will benefit the most. +
++ One of Privoxy's strengths is that + it is highly configurable giving you the ability to completely + personalize your installation. Being familiar with, or at least + having an interest in learning about HTTP and + other networking protocols, HTML, and "Regular Expressions" will be + a big plus and will help you get the most out of Privoxy. A new installation just includes a + very basic configuration. The user should take this as a starting + point only, and enhance it as he or she sees fit. In fact, the user + is encouraged, and expected to, fine-tune the configuration. +
++ Much of Privoxy's configuration + can be done with a Web + browser. But there are areas where configuration is done using + a text editor to edit configuration files. Also note that + the web-based action editor doesn't use authentication and should + only be enabled in environments where all clients with access to + Privoxy listening port can be + trusted. +
++ A web proxy is a service, based on a software such as + Privoxy, that clients (i.e. + browsers) can use instead of connecting to web servers directly. + The clients then ask the proxy to request objects (web pages, + images, movies etc) on their behalf and to forward the data to the + clients. It is a "go-between". For + details, see Wikipedia's proxy definition. +
++ There are many reasons to use web proxies, such as security + (firewalling), efficiency (caching) and others, and there are any + number of proxies to accommodate those needs. +
++ Privoxy is a proxy that is + primarily focused on privacy enhancement, ad and junk elimination + and freeing the user from restrictions placed on his activities. + Sitting between your browser(s) and the Internet, it is in a + perfect position to filter outbound personal information that your + browser is leaking, as well as inbound junk. It uses a variety of + techniques to do this, all of which are under your complete control + via the various configuration files and options. Being a proxy also + makes it easier to share configurations among multiple browsers + and/or users. +
++ Yes, ad blocking is but one possible use. There are many, many ways + Privoxy can be used to sanitize + and customize web browsing. +
++ A long time ago, there was the Internet + Junkbuster, by Anonymous Coders and Junkbusters Corporation. + This saved many users a lot of pain in the early days of web + advertising and user tracking. +
++ But the web, its protocols and standards, and with it, the + techniques for forcing ads on users, give up autonomy over their + browsing, and for tracking them, keeps evolving. Unfortunately, the + Internet Junkbuster did not. + Version 2.0.2, published in 1998, was the last official release, + available from Junkbusters Corporation. Fortunately, it had been + released under the GNU GPL, which allowed further development by others. +
++ So Stefan Waldherr started maintaining an improved version of the + software, to which eventually a number of people contributed + patches. It could already replace banners with a transparent image, + and had a first version of pop-up killing, but it was still very + closely based on the original, with all its limitations, such as + the lack of HTTP/1.1 support, flexible per-site configuration, or + content modification. The last release from this effort was version + 2.0.2-10, published in 2000. +
++ Then, some developers picked up the thread, and started + turning the software inside out, upside down, and then reassembled + it, adding many new features along the way. +
++ The result of this is Privoxy, + whose first stable version, 3.0, was released August, 2002. +
++ As of 2012 the Junkbusters Corporation's website + (http://www.junkbusters.com/) has been shut down, but Privoxy is + still actively maintained. +
++ Though outdated, Junkbusters Corporation continued to offer their + original version of the Internet + Junkbuster for a while, so publishing our Junkbuster-derived software under the same + name would have led to confusion. +
++ There were also potential legal reasons not to use the Junkbuster name, as it was (and maybe still + is) a registered trademark of Junkbusters Corporation. There were, + however, no objections from Junkbusters Corporation to the Privoxy project itself, and they, in + fact, shared our ideals and goals. +
++ The Privoxy developers also believed that there were so many + improvements over the original code, that it was time to make a + clean break from the past and make a name in their own right. +
++ Privoxy is the "Privacy + Enhancing Proxy". Also, its content modification + and junk suppression gives you, the user, more control, more freedom, + and allows you to browse your personal and "private edition" of the web. +
++ Privoxy picks up where Junkbuster left off. Privoxy still blocks ads and banners, still + manages cookies, and still helps protect your privacy. + But, most of these features have been enhanced, and many new ones + have been added, all in the same vein. +
++ Privoxy's new features include: +
++
++ Supports "Connection: keep-alive". Outgoing connections can be + kept alive independently from the client. +
++ Supports IPv6, provided the operating system does so too, and + the configure script detects it. +
++ Supports tagging which allows to change the behaviour based on + client and server headers. +
++ Can be run as an "intercepting" proxy, which obviates the need + to configure browsers individually. +
++ Sophisticated actions and filters for manipulating both server + and client headers. +
++ Can be chained with other proxies. +
++ Integrated browser-based configuration and control utility at + http://config.privoxy.org/ (shortcut: http://p.p/). Browser-based + tracing of rule and filter effects. Remote toggling. +
++ Web page filtering (text replacements, removes banners based on + size, invisible "web-bugs" and HTML + annoyances, etc.) +
++ Modularized configuration that allows for standard settings and + user settings to reside in separate files, so that installing + updated actions files won't overwrite individual user settings. +
++ Support for Perl Compatible Regular Expressions in the + configuration files, and a more sophisticated and flexible + configuration syntax. +
++ GIF de-animation. +
++ Bypass many click-tracking scripts (avoids script redirection). +
++ User-customizable HTML templates for most proxy-generated pages + (e.g. "blocked" page). +
++ Auto-detection and re-reading of config file changes. +
++ Most features are controllable on a per-site or per-location + basis. +
++ Many smaller new features added, limitations and bugs removed. +
++ Privoxy's approach to blocking ads + is twofold: +
++ First, there are certain patterns in the locations (URLs) of banner images. This + applies to both the path (you wouldn't guess how many web sites + serve their banners from a directory called "banners"!) and the host (blocking the big banner + hosting services like doublecklick.net already helps a lot). Privoxy takes advantage of this fact by + using URL patterns to sort out and block the requests + for things that sound like they would be ads or banners. +
++ Second, banners tend to come in certain sizes. But you can't tell the size of + an image by its URL without downloading it, and if you do, it's too + late to save bandwidth. Therefore, Privoxy also inspects the HTML sources of web + pages while they are loaded, and replaces references to images with + standard banner sizes by dummy references, so that your browser + doesn't request them anymore in the first place. +
++ Both of this involves a certain amount of guesswork and is, of + course, freely and readily configurable. +
++ Actually, it's a black art ;-) And yes, it is always possible to + have a broad rule accidentally block or change something by + mistake. You will almost surely run into such situations at some + point. It is tricky writing rules to cover every conceivable + possibility, and not occasionally get false positives. +
++ But this should not be a big concern since the Privoxy configuration is very flexible, and + includes tools to help identify these types of situations so they + can be addressed as needed, allowing you to customize your + installation. (See the + Troubleshooting section below.) +
++ That depends on your expectations. The default installation should + give you a good starting point, and block most ads and unwanted content, but many + of the more advanced features are off by default, and require you + to activate them. +
++ You do have to set up your browser to use Privoxy (see the Installation section below). +
++ And you will certainly run into situations where there are false + positives, or ads not being blocked that you may not want to see. + In these cases, you would certainly benefit by customizing Privoxy's configuration to more closely + match your individual situation. And we encourage you to do this. + This is where the real power of Privoxy lies! +
++ Yes, Privoxy runs as a server + already, and can easily be configured to "serve" more than one client. See How can I set up Privoxy to act as a + proxy for my LAN below. +
++ Modern browsers do indeed have some of the same functionality as Privoxy. Maybe this is adequate for you. + But Privoxy is very versatile and + powerful, and can probably do a number of things your browser just + can't. +
++ In addition, a proxy is good choice if you use multiple browsers, + or have a LAN with multiple computers since Privoxy can run as a server application. This + way all the configuration is in one place, and you don't have to + maintain a similar configuration for possibly many browsers or + users. +
++ Note, however, that it's recommended to leverage both your + browser's and Privoxy's privacy + enhancing features at the same time. While your browser probably + lacks some features Privoxy + offers, it should also be able to do some things more reliably, for + example restricting and suppressing JavaScript. +
++ The most important reason is because you have access to everything, and you + can control everything. You can check every line of every + configuration file yourself. You can check every last bit of source + code should you desire. And even if you can't read code, there + should be some comfort in knowing that other people can, and do + read it. You can build the software from scratch, if you want, so + that you know the executable is clean, and that it is yours. In fact, we + encourage this level of scrutiny. It is one reason we use Privoxy ourselves. +
++ Privoxy is free software and + licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL) version 2. It is free + to use, copy, modify or distribute as you wish under the terms of + this license. Please see the Copyright + section for more information on the license and copyright. Or the + LICENSE file that should be included. +
++ There is no + warranty of any kind, expressed, implied or otherwise. + That is something that would cost real money ;-) There is no + registration either. +
++ No, at least not reliably enough to trust it. Privoxy is not designed to be a malware + removal tool and the default configuration doesn't even try to + filter out any malware. +
++ Privoxy could help prevent contact + from (known) sites that use such tactics with appropriate + configuration rules, and thus could conceivably prevent + contamination from such sites. However, keeping such a + configuration up to date would require a lot of time and effort + that would be better spend on keeping your software itself up to + date so it doesn't have known vulnerabilities. +
++ Privoxy should work fine with + other proxies and other software in general. +
++ But it is probably not necessary to use Privoxy in conjunction with other ad-blocking + products, and this could conceivably cause undesirable results. It + might be better to choose one software or the other and work a + little to tweak its configuration to your liking. +
++ Note that this is an advice specific to ad blocking. +
++ Well, we always need help. There is something for + everybody who wants to help us. We welcome new developers, + packagers, testers, documentation writers or really anyone with a + desire to help in any way. You DO NOT need to be a "programmer". There are many other tasks + available. In fact, the programmers often can't spend as much + time programming because of some of the other, more mundane + things that need to be done, like checking the Tracker feedback + sections or responding to user questions on the mailing lists. +
++ So first thing, subscribe to the Privoxy Users or the Privoxy Developers mailing list, join the + discussion, help out other users, provide general feedback or + report problems you noticed. +
++ If you intend to help out with the trackers, you also might want + to get an account on SourceForge.net so we don't confuse + you with the other name-less users. +
++ We also have a Developer's Manual. While it is partly out of date, + it's still worth reading. +
++ Our TODO list may be of interest to you as well. + Please let us know if you want to work on one of the items + listed. +
++ Donations are welcome. Our TODO list is rather long and being able to pay + one (or more) developers to work on Privoxy would make a huge + difference, even if it was only for a couple of weeks. Donations + may also be used for Privoxy-related travel expenses (for example + to attend conferences), for hardware used for Privoxy development + and for hosting expenses etc. +
++ Privoxy is an associated project + of Software in + the Public Interest (SPI), which allows us to receive + tax-deductible donations in the United States. If you want to + donate through SPI, please use SPI's donation + page to see what the options are. +
++ You can also donate to Privoxy using a bank account or a "Paypal" + address: +
+
+ Name on account: Zwiebelfreunde
+ e.V.
+ IBAN: DE95430609671126825604
+ BIC: GENODEM1GLS
+ Bank: GLS Bank
+
+ "Paypal" address: privoxy@zwiebelfreunde.de +
++ Donations made through Zwiebelfreunde e.V. are tax-deductible in + Germany and other countries that recognize German charitable + clubs. Feel free to use the Subject field to provide a name to be + credited and a list of TODO list items you are interested in the + most. For example: Max Mustermann: #16, #1, #14. +
++ Note that donations made through Zwiebelfreunde e.V. currently + can't be checked automatically so you may not get credited right + away. The credits currently reflect donations received before + 2016-01-14. +
++ If you have any questions regarding donations please mail to + either the public user mailing list or, if it's a private matter, + to Fabian + Keil (Privoxy's SPI liaison) directly. +
++ We are currently offering the following sponsor levels as an + experiment: +
++ Logo shown at the bottom of the Privoxy + homepage. Logo, link and self description on the sponsor + page. +
++ Logo shown randomly at the bottom of the Privoxy + homepage. Logo, link and self description on the sponsor + page. +
++ Logo and link on the sponsor + page. +
++ The logo sizes depend on the sponsor level. +
++ The details may change over time but changes will only affect new + sponsors (or existing sponsors that explicitly agreed to the + changes). +
++ If you want to become a sponsor, please contact Fabian Keil. New + sponsors are only accepted if no developer objects. +